How Cheap?!?! Donor 1UZ-FE

[dgh938peg]

Well into the heavy research for being the first (aside SARD) to stick the V8 in the MKII and have been pleasantly surprised as to how cheap you can pick a fully loaded 90-92 LS400! Under 1k for a 92 with 100-150k miles on! I'd banked on spending £1500 at least! :D

[Rosssco]

A VVTi 1UZ-FE (Standard 280hp) from a 97+ LS400 would be pretty cool, and the one I'd go for if going to these measures...

But aye, really is a bargain powerplant, just a pity its such a job to fit...

[jag60dog]

doesit require elongating the rear of the 2 like the sard version??? sounds cool tho V8 must be good fun with all the torque!!!

[OlberJ]

Well it's gonna need some working of the firewalls at least.

There's 2 ways, either

Internally) extend it forward a la Podge's build, moving the front firewall and use the Audi box, there's more room lengthways in a mk2 so shouldn't need moved too much, mite even get away with just cutting the rear firewall and having the axles angled forward a bit.

Or

Externally) Move the rear hubs further back a la SARD, extend the bodywork and change the shape of the car, lots more work i'd reckon.

3rd option is to have a gearbox in the engine bay and engine in the boot but the handling would be interesting to say the least.

I've been trying to measure it up and from prelimenary sketches it looks like the driveshaft output stubs would sit about 200mm behind the axles without cutting the front firewall, so you'd get an angle on the driveshafts but they should still work i'd reckon.

[biteme]

the driveshaft output stubs would sit about 200mm behind the axles without cutting the front firewall, so you'd get an angle on the driveshafts but they should still work i'd reckon.

Wouldn't that vastly affect the strength of the driveshafts?

[OlberJ]

Depends on the length of them, it's not really the strength of the shafts that are the problem but the joints at that kinda angle.

Need to work out how long the shafts will be and then work out the angle. Anyone any good at Pythagorus? lol

[biteme]

Yep.

The square of the Hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.

I got A-Level maths and physics lol

[dgh938peg]

It will require a severe amount of chassis modification. From what i can tell via Podges dimensioned picture of the block i will have to;
- redesign and remake the firewall a la Podge stylee
- alter the rear end of the car considerably.

You say 200mm OlberJ and i reckoned about the same from initial calcs. But i probably go 250mm to be on the safe side and allow a bit of space for maintenance. I would chop the firewall anyway just for the maintenance aspect again. Would want to get some serious rubber width on the back end so would consider re-using the arse end but spaced off by 250mm and remaking all the rear end bodywork.

With my engineering background (Mechanical Engineer Designer with access to laser cutting and CNC forming & machining) i have no issue with any aspec of the Chassis mod at all and would probably consider turning them out as a rolling shell as a side-line hobby jobby. The balls-ache part for me is getting to know the engine, pipework, vac system and so on....

(BTW with access to a laser cutter, i could cut the gearbox adapters out of 2 pieces of 10mm plate..... once drawn on CAD)

.... that's the bit that scare's me.

Anyone know where i can get hold of an LS400 workshop manual to have a look through? that would be a big help to me (get me head round it sorta ting!!)

My plane would be to get it up and running on an Audi box as a straight N/A to prove the chassis works and is not an absolute cow through the twisties. Then to rework the engine (a la Podge) for twin turbos, twin IC's and a large CC. Considering the power this could turn out i don't think an angle on the driveshafts would be in any way sensible. Would possibly consider running them at a 50mm angle offset to keep the cut 'n' shut down to 200mm though. Audi run the new RS4 driveshafts at 75mm approx from in line to keep that lovely V8 further back and they're steering the car as well so more strian on the CV's there.

Am i rambling? sorry!!! :D

[Rowdan]

Cutting the front firewall and stealing 200mm out of the cabin shouldn't prove an issue to us Celts, not the tallest of races.;)

[dgh938peg]

Cutting the front firewall and stealing 200mm out of the cabin shouldn't prove an issue to us Celts, not the tallest of races.;)

Me 6'1" so 200mm out of the cab would probably mean driving with my knees over my shoulders:driving:

[dgh938peg]

A VVTi 1UZ-FE (Standard 280hp) from a 97+ LS400 would be pretty cool, and the one I'd go for if going to these measures...

But aye, really is a bargain powerplant, just a pity its such a job to fit...

Would be nice but a 97+ would be pretty cost prohibitive for me anyway. I also look at it as the more moving parts the more to go wrong. The older one has 260hp anyway! what's 20hp between friends!

[Howlin_Mad]

There was a green 95 model (250ish hp) on autotrader at the start of the week for £1150!

If i could have done it myself over the space of a year i would - but i can't and i'm too damn impatient to start such a project!

Good luck though fella!

Kieren

[dgh938peg]

Two average milers went for under £700 on Fleabay this week....:freak3:

Think the plan is;
- Get my tubby up and on the road.
- Sell the A6 1.9 tdi
- Buy me another 2
- Buy me an LS400
- GET CHOPPIN!

Watch this space.......